Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye Review [In Depth]
Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye
by: ALEX WANG
Founder, writer
Founder, writer
Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye Details
Distillery / Company: Pursuit Spirits
Type & Region: Rye, USA
Alcohol: 60.9%
Composition: Blend of 3 mashbills (more details in the overview)
Aged: At least 4 years
Color: 1.3/2.0 on the color scale (russet, muscat)
Price: $80
From the company website:
This rye expression was meticulously crafted to stand alongside the best in its class, becoming a certified showstopper. A blend of three rye whiskeys, bottled uncut and unfiltered straight from the barrel, develops cascading layers of flavor.
Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye overview
Well well…getting this sample is certainly a surprise. Here’s the back story on how I got this sample of Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Proof Rye. A while back (maybe early 2025), I emailed Pursuit Spirits inquiring about media samples. At that time, they said that they didn’t do media samples, and that’s fine…no hard feelings.
Come mid November 2025, a package unexpectedly appeared with this sample bottle inside it. I’m down to try and excited that someone thought of me. I’ll still be honest though, brutally if warranted.
You probably know this already, but Cecil and Kenny started off with their podcast, Bourbon Pursuit, and later expanded into Pursuit Spirits. They went from talking about and enjoying bourbon to creating it. Maybe not distilling it (that’s a massive undertaking), but sourcing, finishing, and blending it. It’s a bold path that some whiskey influencers have taken, but it helps to have a large following and relationships with distillers to make it all happen.
This rye is a blend of 3 mashbills (undisclosed ages) from 2 different distilleries. I’m surprised that they were allowed to state the sources…cool.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company – 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Sagamore Spirit – 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Sagamore Spirit – 52% rye, 43% corn, 5% malted barley
I’m going to call out one thing. In the note included with the same, Kenny and Cecil stated that they believe that this is whiskey of the year caliber stuff. It’s a bold statement, so let’s find out more about this whiskey and if I consider it to be at that level in this Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye review.
This sample was provided to me at no cost. All opinions are still my own.
As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (they’re the best): Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4, Set of 2, or just one. Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye smell
I get earthy and toasty honey, pumpernickel, toasted oak, baked apple, cinnamon, lychee, candied orange peel, cherry, and clove with some alcohol punchiness. The scents are quite oaky, toasty, and earthy with backing herbalness and fruitiness.
Even with a few sniffs, I can already tell that this has full, varied, and fragrant scents that already feel like a well crafted rye, although it could use more fruit and nuance, and a little less heat. It’s not overly hot, but it definitely smells all of its 60.9% ABV, which is still fine for this.
After swirling and some rest, I smell honey, candied ginger, vanilla, roasted oak, dark lychee, earthy caraway seed, maple syrup, cinnamon, and heavily spiced baked red apple. Swirling brings out more sweetness in place of some earthiness, but the heat continues to be very present. It’s not overpowering, but it’s always there poking away.
Pursuit United Triple Mash Rye is a bold and fragrant rye whiskey that leans more on its power at the expense of nuance, finesse, and depth that would elevate it more. This is still varied and interesting so I certainly enjoy smelling it, but it often doesn’t feel all that mature and developed. Given what they’re probably working with, it smells great nonetheless.
Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye taste and aftertaste
I initially taste honey, dark fennel, toasted oak, earthy pumpernickel, candied orange peel, gumminess, cinnamon, candied ginger, dried cherry, and lychee. Like the scents, the flavors lean more dark, oaky, and earthy, although the flavors have better balance than the scents do with more fruitiness and herbalness. The heat is also a bit more subdued in the flavors.
Even on the first few sips it’s easy to tell that the flavors are round, viscous, bold, and delicious. It’s also very oily too. I like my rye whiskeys to be more fruity, but this is also very good.
Hard “chewing” gives me dense honey, lychee, roasted oak, and vanilla, followed by caraway seed, spiced and baked red apple, anise, maple syrup, candied ginger and orange peel. “Chewing” amps up all flavor and body, further improving the experience. It also becomes more sweet and fruity, so the flavors have even better balance.
It’s still quite oaky and earthy, but the sweetness, herbalness, and fruitiness hold their own. Now I feel like I’m finally getting the intended experience, which is big, bold, and just layered enough to avoid being straightforward.
The drawback, which keeps it far away from being “Top Shelf+”, is that the flavors don’t explode and the layers don’t open up more with “chewing”. It doesn’t have an expressive surge that bathes my senses. It doesn’t have to be a specific profile, but it has to hit me with expressive, layered, and rich flavor that makes me think “wow”. This is not “wow”, but I still think highly of it.
The finish leaves lingering earthy and toasty sweetness with honey, lychee, toasted oak, caraway seed, anise, candied orange peel, and lightly drying oiliness.
This is tasty for sure, and it tastes better than it smells. Better this than it smelling better than it tastes.
I’ve unfortunately lost some Glencairn’s while in transit, and that made me very sad. So, I wised up and bought this Glencairn Travel Case that comes also comes with 2 glasses so I don’t need to worry so much about them breaking. I think it’s great, and I think you’ll love it too.
Seriously, if you already have glasses, protect them.
Pursuit United Triple Mash Barrel Strength Rye Rating
First, to make my own claim regarding Cecil and Kenny’s claim that this is “whiskey of the year” material… I personally do not think that it is. This is not a knock on the whiskey (it’s very well done), but my mind doesn’t go there as I drink it.
I don’t feel it, and it’s really obvious to me when I do. I remember drinking Kentucky Owl Rye batch 1 and immediately being hit with “wow this is incredible”. Even one bottle of Michter’s 10 Year Rye gave me that “wow” feeling with incredible complexity, depth, and richness.
Regardless, I still recognize that Kenny and Cecil blended an excellent rye that can justify the $80 asking price, although it’s not a steal. It provides plenty of body, character, and heat, but for one reason or another doesn’t have enough nuance, clarify, and pop to take it to another level.
If you’re in the market for a cask strength rye, this is certainly one to consider if the profile speaks to you.
Meet the Author: Alex
I have far too much fun writing about whiskey and singlehandedly running The Whiskey Shelf to bring you independent, honest, and useful reviews, comparisons, and more. I’m proudly Asian American and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Japanese.
There are no sponsors, no media companies, and no nonsense. Support The Whiskey Shelf by Buying Me A Shot.
Shattered glass really sucks, so if you’re on the move, this Glencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass should survive your travels. Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
BrüMate NOS’R, Double-Wall Stainless Steel Whiskey Nosing Glass – 7oz (Matte Black)
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